


A daydream grasped

by mugiji (shichan)



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Byhardt Week (Fire Emblem), Celebrations, Established Relationship, Fluff, Kisses, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-14
Updated: 2020-06-14
Packaged: 2021-03-03 21:55:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,667
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24722659
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shichan/pseuds/mugiji
Summary: “You really are an awful man. Nobody will want to marry you in the future.”
Relationships: Linhardt von Hevring/My Unit | Byleth
Comments: 1
Kudos: 64
Collections: BYHARDT WEEK 2020





	A daydream grasped

**Author's Note:**

> And finally, day 7 of byhardt week! This has been an amazing experience for me since I never wrote for a pairweek before. Check out other writers and artists' works, there are so many talented people that took part in this, you won't be disappointed! Everything can be found on the [byhardt week](https://twitter.com/byhardtweek) twitter where the mods retwitted every single fanart or fanfic.
> 
> I wanted this last contribution to be about fluff and kisses and dorks being in love. Hope you enjoy!

The night breeze is pleasant on his skin. Byleth has spent the whole day going around the monastery; the war ended months ago but somehow this is still new, still strange. Not that Byleth wants the war back, of course. There is so much to do, to take care of but at the same time Byleth finds himself staring at nothing during the day. He woke up, had breakfast, went to the greenhouse, visited his parents’ grave. He goes more often than not and he felt like going today— he knows that this is not how people celebrate birthdays but he wanted to be… close to them, in a sense. Just for a little bit.

After that, he went to feed the cats and dogs that are still around, a job he will never get tired of. If anything, when the time to leave the monastery will come, Byleth thinks he will miss this. Maybe he should just adopt all of them and take them with him. 

Coming from the stables and going to the dining hall to have lunch, he stopped by the place where the market still is— not as crowded as before, but with familiar faces like Anna’s still there. She waved at him, made him promise to come back after he ate (which he did), and then let him go. Even the Gatekeeper enthusiastically greeted him as usual, still calling him ‘Professor’ despite the fact that Byleth is not a teacher anymore, and Byleth promised to bring him something from the dining hall if he wanted but the guy refused, embarrassed but still thanked him. Byleth didn’t get what the problem was but, since the Gatekeeper assured him that he’s okay, he didn’t argue.

The rest of the day was quite boring, to be honest. Yes, he talked to Anna for a bit and she was nice enough to give him some good tea leaves as a birthday present - which caught Byleth off guard because he had totally forgotten in the meantime - but then he still did nothing much but go around, fish for a bit and then he had dinner. It’s been so different from last year— Byleth has never been a fan of birthday celebrations nor he had them when he was a kid, it wasn’t the right time and he wasn’t the kind of child who paid attention to it, honestly. Father still gave him presents, but since there were times he bought Byleth something outside of his birthday… 

But he remembers last year, with Edelgard writing a letter to him and his former students making it… worth celebrating? Byleth doesn’t really know how to describe this feeling. He kind of misses it, but he still thinks it’s not such a big deal. After all, most of the Black Eagles former students are not at the monastery anymore. Knowing Edelgard, Byleth wouldn’t be surprised to receive a letter from her tomorrow— and with her being the Adrestian Empress now, it’s something she really shouldn’t be worried about.

At night, the monastery is so quiet that it gives Byleth a sense of peace and when the weather is warm enough, like now, sometimes Byleth forgets about time and goes back to his room when it’s closer to the dawn than the night itself. Only, he now shares the space with someone else and despite Linhardt being someone who falls asleep very easily and would live his life napping, Byleth found out that he worries more than he wants to admit and that he actually waits for him. Byleth noticed once when he came back to their room while the sun outside was almost visible at the horizon and ready to shine, and as he laid in the bed Linhardt’s shoulders relaxed. He didn’t tell him anything, but Byleth understood he was waiting and probably collapsed the moment he heard him closing the door and felt him beside him.

Fortunately, he doesn’t forget this time and despite the weather being very nice and the sky so clear that it’s easy to spot every single star he still goes back to his room. Linhardt is inside, he supposes— he can see his figure on the bed but the moment he closes the door, Byleth can barely move to the bed and only because he knows the room well enough that the lack of light is not a real problem. Apparently, he will have to sleep like that, only getting rid of his boots. Luckily enough, he doesn’t wear his old attire anymore or it wouldn’t be comfortable at all.

Byleth barely has the time to lay down when an arm hugs his waist and Linhardt’s voice tells him “You are late.” making it obvious that he wasn’t sleeping. But why the lack of light, then, when he usually reads at that time? Has Byleth forgotten they made some plans? “I’m… sorry?” he tries because seriously, it was such a calm day that Byleth thinks he would have remembered the only plan he had.  _ If _ he had one. 

Linhardt sighs but doesn’t let him go “How was your day?” “Very… boring.” he admits, moving enough to turn to face Linhardt, even if he can’t look at his face as much as he’d like to. “I met Anna, she gave me some tea leaves. I left them here in the afternoon, I wanted to make tea for us.” Byleth confesses, his arm hugging Linhardt, his hand drawing circles on Linhardt’s back. He hears a more relaxed “Hm” and smiles, unseen. “You were not in the dining hall at lunch or at dinner.” he adds.

The air in the room is filled with the scent of flowers, the light trace of oil from the lamp and clean sheets. Linhardt, so close to him, smells of books, tea, something sweet Byleth doesn’t recognize at the moment. It’s so familiar and relaxing that he closes the distance enough for Linhardt’s hair to tickle his nose. Byleth’s lips brush against Linhardt’s… chin, maybe, so he slightly (and blindly) moves to kiss his lips. “Are you angry?” “Should I?” Linhardt murmurs but he still doesn’t sound sleepy so… there must be a reason for it.

“I don’t know. Maybe I forgot something we had planned or…” a small, unexpected and amused snort fills the air; before Byleth can ask, Linhardt is kissing him— a brief contact that doesn’t satisfy Byleth at all, but still manages to make him feel warm and happy. “Happy birthday.” Linhardt says as he moves his leg until it’s entangled with Byleth’s “When I woke up you weren’t here.” “Because you woke up at—” “Ah, excuses.” Linhardt cuts him off. Byleth feels his fingers trailing an imaginary path on his back and sighs, pleased. He can almost see Linhardt’s smug smile.

“Then I had a lot of work.” Linhardt keeps going and Byleth knows, at this point, that he’s pretending he’s had an awful day they both know never happened “Choosing the best place to nap?” “Heroes.” Linhardt comments as if the word is very unpleasant “They save a life or two and then think they can belittle others. Anyway,  _ no _ , I had to study a lot.” he reveals. Byleth tries with all his might to stay serious “But you love to study. For hours.” “You really are an awful man. Nobody will want to marry you in the future.” Linhardt accuses him and it would sound bad if Linhardt weren’t snuggling against him more and more. 

“Oh.” Byleth says because that’s the best he can do while pretending he’s very affected by those words “So, I was saying, I worked hard and had dinner here because I thought that someone would have come back to the room to enjoy his birthday together with me. And I was utterly  _ betrayed _ .” Linhardt concludes, a small kiss on Byleth’s jaw. “So, tell me Byleth.” he speaks again, distancing himself enough to look at him, even though Byleth doesn’t know if Linhardt  _ can _ see him. “Why shouldn’t I be angry? Why shouldn’t I break up with this person?”

Again, it would be so convincing if Linhardt weren’t showering him with affection.

“I can only guess,” Byleth tries, because he’s not the best at teasing but he kind of wants to see where this is going to “that this person would be very sad without you.” “Maybe. And?” Byleth thinks, quiet for a few seconds. Is this about him confessing again? “And he would miss you.” 

Linhardt hums, gives him a small kiss on the forehead as if barely praising him for it, so Byleth keeps talking.

“A lot. The warmth when you lay beside him or how easily you fall asleep.” “Try harder. You were almost making it sound like it’s a flaw.” Linhardt instructs him and Byleth complies “I think...” he stops because jokes and teasing apart, ignoring the fact that it’s his birthday so maybe Linhardt should be the one praising him (Byleth doesn’t mind, really, he  _ prefers it this way  _ actually)— he wants to convey this properly, no matter how many times Linhardt asks him. “I think you miss someone the more you love them. So I hope I won’t have to miss you ever again.” he admits. Byleth knows he’s not good with words. He’s getting better but still far from perfection.

Luckily enough, Linhardt doesn’t ask for perfection at all.

“You really surprise me every time.” Linhardt admits before he kisses Byleth again— deep and long and Byleth doesn’t want it to end. Unfortunately, they still need to breathe.

“Happy birthday.” Linhardt whispers (as if Byleth didn’t hear him before) against his lips like a caress, like a promise to wish him the same next year, and the next, all the years that will come from now on.

It may be different from when he was a professor, but this is still a celebration he’s grateful for and the soft “I love you.” Linhardt gives him is the best gift he has ever received.


End file.
